Metal structure



Sept. 25, 1934. T, H. McKAIG 1,974,430

METAL STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet A HORNE?! Sept. 25,1934. McKAIG METAL STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Oct. 25. 1952 *on thecorrespondingly cross section. The corners Patented Sept. 25, 1934 f' UI ED sTATE5 P T NT OFFIC g mnjsmwwm l I I 7 an gen. McKaigf,Buffalo,N'.'Y. f Application octtbe fzs, 1932, Serial 639,439

i 1 cl im; .(Cl. 189-38) inventionrelates to a metal structure which ismore particularly intended for use'as an upright column or post in abuilding, but the same may also be employed advantageously as a-'horizontal b'eam'in buildings, bridges and. the

like, and also for other purposes.

It is the object of this invention to provide a metal structure for thispurpose which is very economical in the amount of metal used for car-'.jrying a predetermined load which permits of readily and convenientlyattaching thereto lathing for plastering purposes, which provides amaximum area of unobstructed transverse passages through the body of thestructure for the ireception' of ter, gas or electric wiring orthe'like, and which pipes or conduits for carrying wacan bemade strongand durable with ease and facility and at comparatively low cost.

In the. accompanying drawings: v V r t Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing this invention embodied in the columnof a building which isadapted to support a plastered wall and to be penetrated by a horizontalpipe adaptedto carry water, gas, electric wires or the like.

Figure 2 is a planview has been slitted preparatory to eifecting thesubsequent operations for converting the same into of this longitudinalbars, but

a metal structure forming the subject invention. Figure 3 is a plan viewshowing the slitted blank expanded in a direction transversely of thelength of the same. I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the finished metal structureviewed from that side pn which the longitudinal edges of the body of thesame are connected with each other.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing this metal structure viewed oppositethat shown in Fig. 4.

Figures 6, '7 and 8 are horizontal sections taken numbered lines in Fig.4.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

In its general construction the body is of tubular form and preferablyof rectangular form in 10, 11, 12, 13 of this of a longitudinal bar ofthroughout the entire of angular form in of the structure consists eachmetal which is continuous length of the structure and is cross section,so that the several corners structure form the main supporting membersof the tube, particularly when the same is employed as a column, post orstrut of a building in i which these corner bars take the compressionstrains of the load imposed upon the colunm. T When this metal structureis used as a beam in of a sheet of metal which a building or bridge-worktheselongitudinal corner'members serve as chords in which the upper onestake the compression strains and the lower ones the'tensile strains.

The four sides of this rectangulartubular body are constructed to formfiat panels which are of open work form and in the preferredconstruction each of these panelscomprises a plurality ofinclinedbraces, strips or stands 14 which are arranged in zig-zag formrelative to the adjacent longitudinal bars. The angular trend of theinclined braces of each panel of the tubular body is in a directionopposite to that of the'angular trend of the inclined braces in' theadjacent'panel of the tubular body and the corresponding bond' ed points15 between the several inclined braces, and the respectivelongitudinalbars' are all transversely in line with each other.

The longitudinal bar 10, hich for convenience will be referred tohereafter as'the' first bar, is arranged at one of the longitudinaledges of the metal blank from which the tubular body is made. Theinclined braces of each of the panels between the 'firstand secondlongitudinal bars 10 and i1, between'the second and third longitudinalbars 11 and 12, and between the third and four longitudinal bars 12 and13 are each connected integrally at their opposite ends with two of thethe inclined braces 14, 14 on the outer side of the fourthlongitudinalbar 13 are only connected integrally at their inner ends with thelast-mentioned bar, while the outer ends of these inclined braces areonly integrally connected in pairs by the several bond points 15 betweenthe adjacent outer ends of the pairs of inclined braces.

By this means the last-mentioned inclined braces 14 and their outer bondpoints 15 form a longitudinal series of loops on the outer side of thelongitudinal bar 13, and the outer bond points 15 of these loops formthe opposite longitudinal edge of the partially completed structurewhich is ultimately converted into tubular form.

This partially completed structure is shown in Fig. 3 and the same isproduced from a sheet metal blank A which is provided with longitudinalslits B which are staggered longitudinally relative to each other sothat when this blank is expanded or spread apart, transverse V-shapedopenings or voids 16 will be produced between the braces of the firstpanel and the first and second longitudinal bars 10 and 11, similarV-shaped openings 17 will be produced between the braces of the secondpanel and the second and third longitudinal bars 11 and 12, similarV-shaped openings 18 will be produced between the braces of the thirdpanel and the longitudinal bars 12 and 13, completely enclosed openings19 of V-shape form will be produced within the loops on the outer sideof the fourth bar 13, and semi-openings 20 of similar form will also beproduced on the outer side of the last-mentioned longitudinal bar.

After the blank has been expanded or distended into the shape shown inFig. 3, in Whichits longitudinal bars are separated and the braces aremoved into an inclined position so as to form V-shaped openingstherebetween, this blank is bent into rectangular tubular form by anysuitable means so that each of the longitudinal bars assumes an angularshape with the concave side thereof facing inwardly and theoutermostbond points of the loops 15 on the outer side of the fourthlongitudinal bar 13 engaging with the outer longitudinal edge of thefirst longitudinal bar 10, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. t

In this position of the parts the outer longitudinal edge of the firstlongitudinal bar 10 is connected with the outer bond points 15 of theloops.

on the opposite longitudinal edge of the blank, which connection ispreferably effected either by gas or electric welding so that the metalof these two edges is fused together and practically forms an integraljoint between the same at a plurality of points, as shown at 24, whichare all arranged on the same line lengthwise of the tubular body, andthus forms a strong and durable'structure.

The engagement of the front or first longitudinal bar 10 with the apicesof the loops on the opposite longitudinal edge of the blank serves toconvert the partial openings or voids 20 into cornplete openings, asshown in Fig. 4.

When the body of the tube is thus bent into rectangular form in crosssection the several inclined braces 14 between the first and secondlongitudinal bars 10 and 11 are parallel or register in line with theinclined braces of the panel between the third and fourth longitudinalbars, and the inclined braces of the second panel between the second andthird longitudinal bars register or are in line with the inclined braces14 of the panel between the first and last longitudinal bars. By thismeans a plurality of passages or openings of maximum capacity are formedthrough the column, beam or tubular body through which it is possible topass pipes or conduits C for conducting water, gas, electric wires orthe like in a direction at right angles to the length of the tube, as

shown in Fig. 1, and of a size which is only limited by the dimension ofthe respective voids or openings in the several panels.

It is thus possible to pipe a building equipped with such columns ortubular members without suffering any inconvenience due to the presenceof these columns, because they do not obstruct the normal passage ofsuch pipes nor occupy any space where these pipes would be mostconveniently located. These pipes can be passed 8 through the tubularcolumn or beam in either of the directions which are at right angles toeach other inasmuch as the openings in the panels on the opposing sidesof the tubular body are in complete register and thus permit the passageof such pipes transversely therethrough in the required direction tosuit a particular installation.

When a structure of this character is used as a column of a building, awall of any suitable character can be mounted on any one of its fourfiat sides with ease and facility and thus'materially reduce the cost ofthe buildings, for ex-' ample, as shown in Fig. 1 wire lathing 21 maybe, conveniently attached to one of the flat sides of the tubular columnor post by means of clips 22, and this lathing may support a backing 23which of itself may either serve as a partition or the foundation for aplaster coating, or any other form of finishing that is desired.

I claim-as my invention:-

A metal structure having a body which is of tubular form and rectangularin. cross section and comprises a plurality of longitudinal bars each ofwhich is arranged at one of the'corners of the tubular body, and aplurality of oblique braces connecting adjacent longitudinal bars andforming open work panels on the several sides of' the structure, all ofsaid longitudinal bars and, braces being constructed from a singlesheetof metal which is slitted lengthwise in the areas forming the panels ofthe structure and in which the longitudinal, bars are not stretched butthe slitted areas are expanded in the plane of the sheet to stretch thebraces and form openings, therebetween, and one longitudinaledge portionof the sheet forming a marginal longitudinal bar of said sheet and theother longitudinal edge portion of the sheet forming marginal braces ofthe respective panel of the sheet, and said I marginal bar and marginalbraces being connected at one corner of the structure;

THOMAS H. McKAIG.

